Ghost of the Jungle
by Forever Merideth
Summary: Seventeen year old Isobel Martinez is stuck living in her crazy family, who all believe there's some "Ghost of the Jungle" in their small village in South America. When her brother runs off in seach of it but doesn't return, she's forced to look for him. But which is she scared of in there: the gangs, wild animals, or the ghost? Story is better than summary! ;)


**Hi everyone! **

**OK, this is my first story so PLEASE go easy on me! This idea popped into my head while I was babysitting my cousin and he was watching TMNT (reminder: the 2007 movie? Yeah, I know you're all not stupid I just thought I'd be more specific, sheesh.)**

**Anyway, enjoy! :) DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TMNT. Nickelodeon does, right?**

**:) And reviews and advice are strongly encouraged :)**

**P.S. everyone in this story speaks mostly English, maybe sometimes Spanish, due to me being unable to write Spanish, so don't hate on me ;)**

* * *

_Not again. _Seventeen year old Isobel Martinez whispered to herself, as everyone in her village came out to listen to a teenage boy give an eyewitness report on what had happened.

"...and then the _fantasma _disappeared within the fog, using it as a cloth!" he exclaimed, shaking the shoulders of one of the older men in the village, who just rolled his eyes. He continued talking, but Isobel found herself not listening.

She was looking out into the deep, vast jungle that surrounded her village, which was a rather small village. Somewhere, hidden within the darkness and mysterious atmosphere of that very jungle was a savior, using the canopy as his cloak to hide away from the world until he was needed again.

She then focused back on the boy when people starting walking away, laughing at what the boy had to say while some women started scowling him, telling him that he has the mind of an immature child. Some older boys spit on him before running away, chasing the other girls in the village as they went about their business.

Isobel, moving thick black strands of hair out of her face, walked toward the boy, dusting off his shoulder. He was much taller than herself, so she found herself having to stand on her tiptoes to dust him off, wiping his face with the cloth she had carried in her pocket.

"_Mucho gracias_, Isobel." the boy whispered, looking down at his feet.

Isobel nodded as she continued to clean his face, wiping all the sweat from him. "So you really think the ghost of the jungle is in there, Juan Herano?"

The boy now looked up at Isobel, his eyes shinning. "_Hermana_, I know he is out there. I saw him myself! He was wearing a cloak, but his two swords could be seen..."

Isobel nodded as he continued his description of the ghost, smiling as his voice got more excited telling about the famous urban legend that only started a month ago after local gangs were scared straight.

Or, so she and her brother, Juan Herano, have been told.

* * *

_Flashback:_

_Isobel had been sweeping the floor of her family's humble home, humming to a song the girls in her class had been singing, when suddenly her papa rushed through the door, or more, the indent where the door SHOULD be. _

_"Isobel! Isobel! Hay un fantasma en la selva! There's a ghost in the jungle!" he panted, leaning against their dinning room table, made out of clay and dry mud by Isobel herself. _

_At first, she couldn't help but laugh, asking her father is Juan Herano had played another joke on him. Juan Herano last time had dressed himself in vines and leaves and disguised himself as the monster of the jungle. Her father didn't step out of the house for a week. _

_"You laugh, mi hija, but I tell you now: there is something very grande living in that jungle of ours. And it does not take kindly to any gangs. Especially the Loctue Clan."_

_Isobel shuddered at the mere mentioning of the gang name, reminding her of why her family, her village, lived in fear and didn't forget to say their prayers before going to bed. _

_Because there was a good chance they wouldn't be alive the next night to do so. _

_"Papi," Isobel reasoned, leaning the broom against the wall, "Perhaps the sun has gotten to you. You may have just seen a tiger."_

_He walked over to her and put his hands on her shoulder. "Hija, Isobel, I tell you no lie: he is out there."_

_"He, papi?"_

_"The ghost of the jungle is out there, and I will prove it. Recuerda mis palabras, mark my words."_

_Isobel gave him a sad smile as he ran out of the house, announcing to the world that there was a ghost in their very jungles._

* * *

Her father had set out to find the ghost, and so far has been unsuccessful, and now Juan Herano was taking his father's place.

"Juan, mi hijo, not you too. Please don't go looking for the ghost. Papi is still out there looking, and I need someone to help me here."

The boy glared at her. "Our father has become the laughing stock of this village, Isobel. Someone needs to restore the respect that man deserves, and I'm the one to do it." He grabbed her hand from his face, looking at it gently. "I need to do this, _hermana_." He then walked away towards their home, not even glancing back at a dumbfounded Isobel.

"What now, Isobel?" she mumbled, staring down at her now messy washcloth. She looked back out at the jungle, where a mysterious creature was lurking, waiting to be challenged. While Isobel found herself intriged by the creature, she was also disgusted.

That _thing _was the reason her family is all over South America, scattered chasing hopeless fanstasies. It was the reason her brother was to run away.

It was the reason Isobel slept alone and sad at night, in an empty house.

She put the cloth back in her pocket and sauntered home, dragging her barefeet in the dirt. She did not want to go home, only having to say 'goodbye' to her brother, who was as crazy as her father.

"Someone needs to restore the respect that man deserves," her brother had said.

How do you restore the respect of a village mule; the village _idiota_?

Simple: You can't. There's no way you could give so much respect to someone who lost so much of it.

All Isobel could hope was that she did not end up as crazy as her family. Even her grandfather started chasing after this myth.

But some know-it-all voice said, "Don't worry, Isobel. You're next."

And she prayed with all her might she wasn't...

* * *

**So, what did ya think of Chapter 1? I'll clearify more things in the next chapter, naturally, and of course the ever famous ghost of the jungle will get his P.O.V, but this was just introducing the situation. **

**Again, suggestions, reviews, anything is welcome (except hate. No hate, please!) :)**

**Thanks! :)**

**Translations:**

**_fantasma: ghost_**

**_hermana: sister_**

**_mucho gracias: much thanks_**

**_and the rest are pretty self explanitory :) _**


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